SECTION 3: PLANNING AREA PROFILE
difficulties. Lack of public transportation options could pose significant issues for special needs populations during an emergency or disaster. HOMELESS POPULATION In 2018, for the first time, HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report included the number of people experiencing homelessness who were sheltering in locations specifically for people displaced by presidentially declared natural disasters. The report found 3,864 displaced and homeless individuals. Additionally, the National Low Income Housing Coalition explains that people experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable during natural disasters and are often subject to discrimination during recovery. Resources are often prioritized for those displaced during disasters, despite the case that there is no difference between those that were made homeless by a hazard event and those who otherwise lack stable housing. According to the most recent 2023 Point-In-Time Count conducted by the Wake County Continuum of Care (CoC), roughly 683 households and 916 persons experienced homelessness, with 354 persons facing chronic homelessness. The Wake County Network of Care lists five access sites for a coordinated entry assessment of homelessness: Oak City Cares (adult individuals and families), Haven House (youth and young adults aged 18- 24), St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church (adult individuals), Women’s Center of Wake County (single women), and Salvation Army of Wake County (families with children). INMATES The Wake County Sheriff’s Office inmate search application indicates that there are approximately 1,433 inmates in the Wake County Jail System between two detention facilities as of 2024. This incarcerated population could require special planning during a hazard event depending on the location of jail facilities in the county. Additional planning for food, water, and health care may need to be considered. POVERTY According to the American Community Survey 2022 5-year estimates, 8.2 percent of the total population in Wake County was below the poverty level. In its justification of SVI indicators, the CDC explains that economically disadvantaged populations are disproportionately affected by disasters. Low-income residents are less likely to have the income or assets necessary to prepare for a possible disaster or to recover after a disaster (Cutter et al., 2003). For low-income households, lost or damaged property is proportionately more expensive to replace, especially without homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Unemployed individuals may also not have access to benefits plans that provide income and health cost assistance in the event of injury. Additionally, housing quality and access is closely tied to socio- economic status. Low-income households may live in less structurally sound houses or mobile homes, which are particularly vulnerable to strong storms or earthquakes. MINORITY STATUS The CDC indicates that, “social and economic marginalization of certain racial and ethnic groups, including real estate discrimination, has rendered minority populations more vulnerable at all stages of disaster and hazard events.” Similarly, the Urban Sus tainability Network explains that, in the U.S., race is a major determinant of life outcomes. Like housing, it is inextricably tied to income and wealth. Further, race is a reliable predictor of hazard risk, including vulnerability to many of the hazards projected to intensify under changing climate conditions. Historical and current discriminatory practices have resulted in the inequitable distribution of resources and access to opportunities for many lower-income populations and communities of color. The result is that social inequities can increase disproportionate risk and vulnerability in these communities.
Wake County, NC Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
WSP June 2024 Page 52
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